US5885433A - Heat sink plate mounting for electrophoresis unit - Google Patents
Heat sink plate mounting for electrophoresis unit Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US5885433A US5885433A US08/834,193 US83419397A US5885433A US 5885433 A US5885433 A US 5885433A US 83419397 A US83419397 A US 83419397A US 5885433 A US5885433 A US 5885433A
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- heat sink
- plate
- sink plate
- face
- connector elements
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
- G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
- G01N27/416—Systems
- G01N27/447—Systems using electrophoresis
- G01N27/44704—Details; Accessories
- G01N27/44708—Cooling
Definitions
- the present invention relates to heat sink plate mountings and more particularly, to a mounting for a flat faced heat sink plate against which a flat faced heated body is placed such as is used in an electrophoresis unit.
- the heat sink is provided as an element having a flat surface which is placed in contact with the heated body flat surface.
- Electrophoresis is a well known molecular biological art practice. An explanation of the practice is found, e.g., in the Background of the Invention description of U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,412.
- a polymerized gel slab is sandwiched between two flat glass or plastic plates, the sandwich is mounted in the electrophoresis unit with its upper and lower ends in contact with electrolyte solutions in respective unit upper and lower reservoirs, a biological sample from which molecules are to be separated is introduced at the top of the gel, and an electric potential is established between the upper and lower reservoir electrolytes.
- heat carry off from the gel slab should be uniform across the slab so that heat condition in the slab would be uniform. Further, if effective uniform heat removal from the slab is present, the slab can be allowed to run hotter since such makes the processing faster.
- Clamping of the plate in mounted position is also effected to insure a tight sealing of an upper part of the sandwich against a seal member carried on the unit just adjacent below an edge of an opening in the upper reservoir at which the electrolyte in the upper reservoir is placed in communication with the gel slab, a requirement of the processing. Without a proper such sealing, electrolyte from the upper reservoir could leak out and possibly drip down the sandwich to the lower reservoir wherein it could cause thwarting of the processing.
- an improved mounting for a heat sink plate of an electrophoresis unit be provided so that maximized face-to-face contact of the planar face of the heat sink plate with a sandwich plate of the gel slab sandwich exist while at the same time a sure sealing of the gel slab sandwich with the unit upper reservoir also be present and that the same be made without need for an unusually high clamping force.
- Another object of the invention to provide a heat sink plate mounting which facilitates presentation and maintenance of a planar face of a heat sink plate in substantially full face-to-face contact with a planar face of a sandwich plate of a gel slab sandwich from which heat is being removed thereby to insure that uniform heat transfer from the latter to the former and without creation of any hot or cold spots at locations in the gel slab plate during processing.
- a heat sink plate mounting for an electrophoresis unit in which the heat sink plate is mounted to a fixed frame with plural cooperating paired first and second connector elements carried at locations on the heat sink plate and fixed frame. Compression springs encircle paired first and second connector elements and interpose between the heat sink plate and the fixed frame.
- a flat face of the heat sink plate orients in substantially full planar face-to-face contact with a flat face of a gel slab sandwich plate.
- the heat sink plate can have following movement with the sandwich plate that is a pivoting thereof about at least two orthogonally disposed axes passing through the heat sink plate. With this following movement, face-to-face contact is uniform across the plates and hence, heat transfer from the gel slab maintained uniform.
- a mounting for a heat sink plate having a generally planar face against which a second plate having a like generally planar face and containing heat which is to be removed therefrom can be contactingly juxtaposed.
- the second plate planar face is engaged against the heat sink plate planar face under clamping force applied to said second plate at opposite side marginal areas of said second plate.
- the mounting comprises a fixed frame and the heat sink plate has a plurality of first connector elements fixed at a second heat sink plate face opposite to its said generally planar face.
- the fixed frame has at least a like plurality of second connector elements cooperatively engagable with the first connector elements for supporting the heat sink plate with its second face in front of said fixed frame.
- Compression springs interpose between the heat sink plate second face and the fixed frame, the compression springs function normally to urge the heat sink plate away from the fixed frame but to yield such under impetus of a clamping force applied to the second plate urging the second plate toward the fixed frame with the second plate in juxtaposed face-to-face contact with the heat sink plate.
- the heat sink plate has following movement with the second plate and planar face-to-face therebetween is maintained.
- the cooperating first and second connector elements are disposed in an array of such that movement of the heat sink plate is a pivoting thereof about at least two orthogonally disposed axes passing through the heat sink plate.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a type of electrophoresis unit in which the heat sink plate mounting of the invention readily can be incorporated;
- FIG. 2 is a perspective showing of the FIG. 1 electrophoresis unit exploded to show the gel slab sandwich in removed position;
- FIG. 3 is a side view of the electrophoresis unit, partly in section and partly exploded so as to show details of the heat sink mounting;
- FIG. 4 is a perspective showing in exploded detail of the heat sink plate and the fixed frame of the electrophoresis unit from which the heat sink plate is supported;
- FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view partly in section showing the manner by which the heat sink plate is adjustably mounted so as to allow setting a selected distance between the heat sink plate and the upper reservoir/sandwich plate seal;
- FIGS. 6A and 6B are respective top plan and side elevational showings of the manner in which the heat sink plate can pivot to follow movements of the gel sandwich plate to maintain substantially full face-to-face contact therebetween;
- FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 5 but depicting the mounted contact between the heat sink plate and the gel slab sandwich with the latter in processing mounted position.
- the heat sink plate mounting is described herein in terms of its use in an electrophoresis unit but it should be understood it is equally useful in other applications wherein it is contemplated that heat be removed from a body having a flat planar surface to a heat sink and considerations allow that a flat plate can or need be used as the heat sink.
- the electrophoresis unit 10 includes a housing 12 comprised of a base 14, side walls 16, 18, a lower electrolyte reservoir 20, and an upper electrolyte reservoir 22, the reservoir preferably having protective covers. Structure at front sides of the housing can carry gel slab sandwich clamp elements 28 which are used for clamping the gel slab sandwich 30 to the unit and against the hereafter mentioned heat sink plate.
- the clamp elements 28 can comprise rotatable pressure wheels 32 set over pressure plates 24, 26, swingable clamp arms, cams or any suitable component which can engage the front plate face of the gel slab sandwich and apply clamping force to press a rear plate of the sandwich against the heat sink plate and maintain it in that condition.
- Lower reservoir 20 and upper reservoir 22 each hold electrolytic liquids and the upper reservoir is cut away as at 38 to communicate liquid therein with the gel slab of the sandwich.
- the particulars of how processing is carried out is well known to one skilled in the art.
- a resilient material seal 42 Adjacent the lower edge 40 of the upper reservoir cutaway 38 and in front thereof is a resilient material seal 42 which a rear plate face of the sandwich engages when the sandwich is clamped in place to effect a sealing of the sandwich mounting to prevent leakage of electrolyte from the upper reservoir, the cutaway best being seen with reference to FIG. 2 while FIG. 1 best shows the clamped mounting of the sandwich on the unit.
- FIG. 2 depicted seal is depicted as flat faced but it also can be of circular section as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.
- a groove 44 (FIG. 5) can be provided in a lower part of the upper reservoir structure to receive the seal 42.
- the unit also includes a heat sink plate 46 set centrally in the unit with its side margins underlying the pressure plates 24, 26.
- the heat sink plate can be of various materials which readily absorb heat being, for example, a metal such as an anodized aluminum or a ceramic. The mounting of the heat sink plate 46 in the unit 10 is given next.
- the gel slab sandwich 30 comprises front and rear sandwich plates 48, 50 between which is sandwiched the polymerized material gel slab 51.
- the sandwich plates 48, 50 are of glass or plastic and have generally face, planar plate faces.
- Unit 10 is provided with a rigidly fixed frame 52 conveniently provided as a panel fixed to or made integral with the side walls 16, 18.
- the fixed frame 52 has a series of openings 54 by which securement of the heat sink plate thereto can be effected.
- openings 54 Although a large number of openings 54 are seen in the fixed frame, a preferred mounting requires only three be used. Others could be used but three are preferred. Unused openings 54 serve as ventilation holes to aid the overall heat removal function in the unit.
- First connector elements e.g., studs 56, three in number in a preferred embodiment, are located at a rear side of the heat sink plate and can be fixed thereto. These first connector elements 56 are disposed in array such that two are proximal the top of the heat sink plate and the third is proximal the bottom of the heat sink plate. Further, the two top first connector elements providing that the top two first connector elements are located symmetrically with respect to the third. It is also seen that the three first connector elements located on the heat sink plate are at the apices of an equilateral triangle, are laterally spaced close to the respective side margins of the heat sink plate while the third first connector element is centered on the plate between the locations of the top two first connector elements.
- the advantage of using the so arranged first connector elements array is that the flatness of presentation for juxtaposed contact of the planar front face of the heat sink plate 46 to the planar face of the rear sandwich plate 50 is best defined with three point mounting.
- Supporting of the heat sink plte 46 to the fixed frame 50 can be effected in one manner with cooperatively interengaging second connectors 57 located on the fixed frame 52.
- Cylindrical sleeves 58 internally threaded as at 60, pass through opening 54 and a screw 62 is threaded into the sleeve from the rear side of the fixed frame, the screw passing through a washer or a keeper ring 64 loose mounted at the rear side of the fixed frame.
- Sleeve 58 also is threaded onto the associated stud 56 as shown.
- a washer 68 is located at the front side of the fixed frame and intervenes sleeve 58 and the flat panel face of the fixed frame.
- the sleeve 58 By rotating screw 62 in one or an opposite direction, the sleeve 58 can be slid in corresponding directions to move the heat sink plate forwardly or rearwardly as desired. Required such movement will be only slight and will be employed when it is desired to set the distance D (FIG. 5) between the front face of the heat sink plate and the front extreme of seal 42 for reason as given next.
- Distance D is set with respect to a condition when the gel slab sandwich is not yet mounted in the unit 10.
- face-to-face contact of the heat sink plate 46 with sandwich plate 50 and under clamping pressure the heat sink plate will be pressed rearwardly slightly while planar face-to-face contact conformity ensues.
- the top of the rear face of sandwich plate 50 will engage against seal 42 and on full clamping, proper sealing between the plate 50 and the seal effect to obviate leakage at the reservoir when the latter is filled with electrolyte.
- Optimizing the set distance D insures that first, proper heat sink plate/sandwich plate contact is achieved followed by proper sealing contact with the top of plate 50 and seal 42.
- a distance D of substantially about 0.060 inches is found appropriate for most uses of the depicted type electrophoresis unit of which E-C Apparatus Corporation EC 160 DNA Sequencing System is exemplary.
- FIG. 7 shows the juxtaposed contact between the heat sink plate 46 and the gel slab sandwich 30, as well as the compression of seal 42 effected when the sandwich is in the unit in mounted position, the spring 61 having been slightly further compressed from the FIG. 5 showing condition.
- the three point mounting and the spring action allows the heat sink plate to pivot about at least two orthogonally disposed axes X and Y as shown in respective FIGS. 6A and 6B or to having such a movement as is a combination of these pivotings.
- the heat sink plate can float or follow the face of sandwich plate 30 to establish and sustain full face-to-face intimate contact between these components.
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- Molecular Biology (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Electrochemistry (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
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Abstract
Description
Claims (8)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US08/834,193 US5885433A (en) | 1997-04-15 | 1997-04-15 | Heat sink plate mounting for electrophoresis unit |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US08/834,193 US5885433A (en) | 1997-04-15 | 1997-04-15 | Heat sink plate mounting for electrophoresis unit |
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US5885433A true US5885433A (en) | 1999-03-23 |
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US08/834,193 Expired - Lifetime US5885433A (en) | 1997-04-15 | 1997-04-15 | Heat sink plate mounting for electrophoresis unit |
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Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080028833A1 (en) * | 2006-08-01 | 2008-02-07 | Thermo Electron Corporation | Method and software for detecting vacuum concentrator ends-of-runs |
Citations (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4325796A (en) * | 1979-01-03 | 1982-04-20 | Hoefer Scientific Instruments | Vertical gel slab electrophoresis apparatus and method therefor |
US4610299A (en) * | 1985-04-01 | 1986-09-09 | S.I.E., Inc. | Spring-biased heat sink |
US4668362A (en) * | 1984-01-27 | 1987-05-26 | Daniel November | Method of eliminating electrophoretic rate differentials |
US4773984A (en) * | 1987-02-02 | 1988-09-27 | Life Technologies, Inc. | Vertical gel slab electrophoresis apparatus |
US4898658A (en) * | 1987-11-25 | 1990-02-06 | Northeastern University | Integrated temperature control/alignment system for high performance capillary electrophoretic apparatus |
US4911816A (en) * | 1986-02-04 | 1990-03-27 | Oncor, Inc. | Process for conducting electrophoresis and transfer |
US5112470A (en) * | 1990-12-07 | 1992-05-12 | Stratagene | Electrophoresis apparatus |
US5185071A (en) * | 1990-10-30 | 1993-02-09 | Board Of Regents, The University Of Texas System | Programmable electrophoresis with integrated and multiplexed control |
US5324412A (en) * | 1992-07-02 | 1994-06-28 | Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | Electrophoresis plates with grooves |
US5637203A (en) * | 1993-06-21 | 1997-06-10 | Helena Laboratories Corporation | Platform for conducting electrophoresis, and electrophoresis plate for use with the platform |
-
1997
- 1997-04-15 US US08/834,193 patent/US5885433A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4325796A (en) * | 1979-01-03 | 1982-04-20 | Hoefer Scientific Instruments | Vertical gel slab electrophoresis apparatus and method therefor |
US4668362A (en) * | 1984-01-27 | 1987-05-26 | Daniel November | Method of eliminating electrophoretic rate differentials |
US4610299A (en) * | 1985-04-01 | 1986-09-09 | S.I.E., Inc. | Spring-biased heat sink |
US4911816A (en) * | 1986-02-04 | 1990-03-27 | Oncor, Inc. | Process for conducting electrophoresis and transfer |
US4773984A (en) * | 1987-02-02 | 1988-09-27 | Life Technologies, Inc. | Vertical gel slab electrophoresis apparatus |
US4898658A (en) * | 1987-11-25 | 1990-02-06 | Northeastern University | Integrated temperature control/alignment system for high performance capillary electrophoretic apparatus |
US5185071A (en) * | 1990-10-30 | 1993-02-09 | Board Of Regents, The University Of Texas System | Programmable electrophoresis with integrated and multiplexed control |
US5112470A (en) * | 1990-12-07 | 1992-05-12 | Stratagene | Electrophoresis apparatus |
US5324412A (en) * | 1992-07-02 | 1994-06-28 | Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | Electrophoresis plates with grooves |
US5637203A (en) * | 1993-06-21 | 1997-06-10 | Helena Laboratories Corporation | Platform for conducting electrophoresis, and electrophoresis plate for use with the platform |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080028833A1 (en) * | 2006-08-01 | 2008-02-07 | Thermo Electron Corporation | Method and software for detecting vacuum concentrator ends-of-runs |
US7555933B2 (en) | 2006-08-01 | 2009-07-07 | Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | Method and software for detecting vacuum concentrator ends-of-runs |
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Owner name: SAVANT INSTRUMENTS, INC., NEW YORK Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:ZILMAN, MOISEY;DALY, FINBARR A.;PREZIOSO, VINCENT R.;REEL/FRAME:008759/0228;SIGNING DATES FROM 19970602 TO 19970603 |
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